Emotional Intelligence

What is it?

Emotional intelligence or emotional quotient (EQ) is a person's ability to perceive, reason with, understand, and manage emotions. This applies not only to their own emotions, but also to those of others around them.

Our emotional intelligence comes into play a lot during daily life. From empathising with how others are feeling, to understanding our own emotions. Even just taking a moment to cool down before reacting when we're angry or frustrated is a sign of good EQ.

A number of researchers suggest that emotional intelligence is something we can work on - much like going to the gym, except training our minds instead of our bodies. It's also suggested that EQ is more important to a person's success that IQ, which leads us on to the next question...

How is it different to IQ?

Intelligence quotient (IQ) is what usually comes to mind when we think of 'intelligence'. IQ measures a person's reasoning, logic, and ability to recall information. Testing a person's IQ often involves knowledge-based questioning, having them solve puzzles, predict what comes next in a pattern, and other such exercises.

So while EQ and IQ both measure some form of 'intelligence', EQ leans more toward qualities like self-awareness and empathy, whereas IQ focuses more on a person's knowledge and analytical thinking.

Why is it important?

Emotional intelligence is key to a healthy, happy life full of positive relationships. With a higher EQ we're able to form stronger bonds with those around us, from family, friends and romantic partnerships, through to colleagues and business associates. It helps us navigate complex social situations which is often one of the keys to a successful career.

EQ also plays a huge part in our physical and mental health - the ability to manage stress can reduce our likelihood of suffering from things such as depression, anxiety, high blood-pressure, and even premature ageing.